


Still a Stark

by Eldarion



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arya Stark is a mom, Childbirth, F/M, Gendry doesn't know he's a father, King Gendry Waters, Pregnancy, Protective Arya Stark, well kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:33:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eldarion/pseuds/Eldarion
Summary: Post-season 8 with minor AU elements.Arya doesn't know it, but when she leaves on her voyage, she is carrying Gendry's child.Mother. It had taken Arya until her fourth month to even admit to herself that she was with child. But in the five months since then, she had never thought of herself as a mother. She was a woman with a child growing in her. A few minutes ago she was a woman birthing a child. And now…
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Gendry Waters/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	Still a Stark

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU that takes place post-season 8 and follows the show other than Bran becoming king. In this universe, Westeros goes back to being the seven kingdoms. Sansa is the queen in the North and Bran hangs out up there with her slowly becoming less tree-like.

The winds were strong that night. Waves rose and fell and crashed against the hull of the ship. And inside, Arya Stark screamed. Sweat coated her body made her thin shift cling to her skin. There were only two other women on the ship and only one of them had seen childbirth before. When the contractions receded, Arya placed a hand on her swollen belly and cursed. The two women wondered who she was cursing. Them? The child? The father?

The child finally came at the first crack of dawn. The boy screamed and wailed as the two women cleaned him and wrapped him in a cloth. Arya was barely conscious but the screams of the babe kept drawing her back from the darkness of sleep. She felt her head start to pound as one of the women handed the child to her. Reluctantly, she took the babe into her arms. Silence. Arya looked down in surprise. The child was still there, blue eyes staring back at her. She looked to the other women. One of them said, “He knows his mother.” 

Mother. It had taken Arya until her fourth month to even admit to herself that she was with child. But in the five months since then, she had never thought of herself as a mother. She was a woman with a child growing in her. A few minutes ago she was a woman birthing a child. And now… 

The next day, Arya stood on the deck at sunset, her son cooing in her arms. The little bastard screamed whenever anyone else held him. And bastard he was. Everyone on the ship made sure that she knew. How she had hated it when her body had begun to betray her state. Once the crew had learned, her reputation was completely destroyed. She had never cared what other people thought. But the ever lingering looks as her belly grew larger and larger had nearly driven her mad. She had spent the better part of the last two months in her cabin. Avoiding the eyes of all. 

After the birth, there was so much blood that it seeped into the wood of the floor. The stench had become too much for Arya and she was worried the putrid air might not be good for a little one. So she had carried him out to the deck.

She thought she would hate holding him. That he would be a burden. Getting in her way whenever something needed to be done. But she didn’t hate holding him. It reminded her of when little Rickon was born. Holding him made the world seem sweet and good again. Arya sighed and shifted her son in her arms.

“My lady.”

Arya spun around. It was the captain of the ship. He was an older Northman and had been one of the first to push her aside when her pregnancy had shown.

“Yes,” she curtly replied.

“I’ve not yet had a chance to congratulate you,” he said flatly.

Arya gave a forced, half-smile, “Thank you.”

Arya expected him to walk away, but he kept standing there, glancing between her and the boy.

“Have you named him yet?” He finally asked. Arya thought that he certainly did not care about her son’s name and wanted something else.

Arya nodded, “Yes, after my brother, Robb.”

“Good, good,” he muttered, “Robb Snow, it has a nice ring to it.”

Arya’s face dropped, “His name is Robb Stark.” Arya became vaguely aware that all the crew near them had stopped their work and were listening intently.

“Forgive me, my lady,” the old captain said with a cruel smirk, “But-,”

“But what?” she spat. “My son is a Stark of Winterfell. I have given him my family’s name. And that will be good enough for you and everyone else.”

The captain stood silent. Arya refused to bear the shame they inflicted upon her and stood proudly. She was still a Stark. The captain bowed quickly and turned away. The men all scrambled back to their work.

Little Robb cooed from his blankets. The wind caught Arya’s hair and the edge of Robb’s blanket. It sent a chill through her as she looked down at her son. “Are you happy now? I’m officially stuck with you.”

Robb shrieked and Arya winced at the shrill sound. “Don’t worry. You’ve got a whole family that's stuck with you.”

Arya looked to the sunset beyond the bow of the ship. Beautiful pinks and purples painted the sky. And suddenly, she felt as though everything would be alright. 

-

Six years later.

Storm’s End had a formidable look. The walls were a dark gray stone and the whole castle was unadorned save for the single Baratheon banner upon the tallest tower. But it was midday and the sun shone brightly upon the battlements, driving away some of the darkness.

Arya approached on foot. Her face was not her own. She was an old woman in simple clothes. The gates of the keep were open and there appeared to be some sort of market inside. The guards didn’t stop her or any of the dozens of people coming and going. Arya slipped into the shadows as quickly as she could. She wandered through the castle searching. 

She rounded a corner and suddenly found herself in a small courtyard. She heard a toddler giggle and Arya turned to look for the child. Then she saw them. A man hoisted a little girl above his head and swung her around. She couldn’t have been more than two years old but she screamed in delight.

“Gendry!” A woman’s voice called from the other end of the courtyard.

Arya jumped back into the shadows as the woman approached Gendry and the little girl. She was beautiful. Her brown hair was long and her eyes were bright. And she was with child. She looked as if she would go into labor at any moment.

“You shouldn’t toss her about so,” the woman chided.

“What’s the harm?” He asked. “You don’t really think I’m going to drop her, do you?”

The woman sighed, “No, but you’ll make her wild.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Gendry asked with a laugh.

The woman rolled her eyes teasingly and Gendry leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips.

Arya crept around the corner and down the hall she had come from as fast as she could. She hadn’t cried since the night Robb was born and she wasn’t about to cry now.

-

Sansa Stark always hoped she would see her sister again. But after the first two years without a hint of news, she had begun to believe she was dead. But she had held out hope that she would return. And now she had. Sansa stood in the courtyard as Arya and a few of her crew rode in on horseback. She wondered if this was how father had felt all those years ago when King Robbert rode in.

Arya dismounted and immediately embraced her sister. No greeting, no nothing. Just the warmest embrace Sansa had felt in a long time. Arya turned to Bran and embraced him. 

“Welcome home,” Sansa beamed.

“Thank you, sister,” Arya replied, smiling just as broadly.

“Shall we go inside?” Sansa asked.

“One moment first,” Arya said as she turned back to her men.

Sansa’s brow wrinkled as Arya went to a small boy and helped him down from his pony. Arya held his hand as they walked back to Sansa.

“Sansa, this is my son.”

Sansa’s face blanched. “Your son?”

“Yes,” Arya curtly replied.

“But who is…” Sansa cut herself off. They would have this conversation later. Instead, she knelt down to look at the boy. “What is your name?”

“Robb,” he quietly replied.

Sansa smiled as she felt tears brimming in her eyes. “Welcome home, Robb,” she said and kissed the top of his head.

-

He had the Stark look, black hair and a long somber face. He reminded Sansa a bit of Jon. But he had blue eyes. And when he smiled, gods he smiled more than any other Stark had in a thousand years, his eyes lit up and his brow wrinkled like… 

“Sansa,” Arya said.

She started and looked from her nephew to her sister. It was a private dinner that night. Just her, Arya, and Bran in their father’s study. Little Robb played on the floor by the fire, completely oblivious to the adults above him.

“How old is he?” Sansa asked.

“Six.”

Sansa thought for a moment. “So it happened before you left?”

Arya nodded.

“Did you know?” Sansa dared to ask. 

Arya looked down at her plate. “Yes, but I didn’t want to believe it.”

Sansa didn’t want to push her sister too hard but she needed to confirm her suspicions. Sansa bit the inside of her cheek and asked, “And the father?”

Arya stared daggers at her from across the table. “He doesn’t matter.”

“Really?” Sansa asked incredulously. “Because I think it matters a great deal that he looks like the spitting image of the King of the Stormlands.”

“He looks like a Stark!” Arya slammed her hand on the table.

Robb looked up from his toys with wide eyes.

“He is a Stark,” Sansa said softly. “Both of you will always have a place here. I just want to make sure this is what’s best for everyone.” 

“This is what is best,” Arya said.

Sansa scoffed. 

“She’s right,” Bran said suddenly. He turned to Sansa and said, “This is what is best.”

Sansa sighed. As usual, she appeared to be outvoted. But, at the end of the day, it was Arya’s decision. Sansa couldn’t help feeling as though her sister was making a mistake. She had only interacted with Gendry a few times but she did not think this was what was best for him.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you guys think? Should I keep this going? Is this a relevant fandom anymore lol? 
> 
> I just found this today while I was going through a bunch of old google docs. I made a few minor additions to flesh it out but I really have no clue where I originally planned on going with this. I just really love putting Arya and Gendry in the worst situations ever and putting a baby on top. 
> 
> So should I end this quickly and have Sansa tell or should I make this a slow burn and drag out the torture?


End file.
